A Round Table at the Invitation of the Middle East Council of Churches

Thursday 27 July 2023, at 9 am

As part of its monthly series of seminars, the Middle East Council of Churches has the honor to invite you to a round table it organizes under the title “Human Dignity and Palestinian Refugees”, on Thursday 27 July 2023, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut.

You can find the seminar’s program in the photo. You can participate in it via the following Zoom link: https://shorturl.at/rtGS2, or live on the MECC Facebook Page.

This round table is part of the series of monthly seminars launched by MECC, within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” - “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”.

The Land Regain in Jerusalem as Model

According to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s website, the Patriarchate has successfully recovered “strategic” lands in Jerusalem after more than a decade of tireless efforts. These lands are of religious, heritage, and archaeological value, containing Byzantine monuments and located next to the Orthodox Church in the Abu Tour area.

The Patriarchate has regained its “full” rights over a plot of land it owns in the Abu Tour neighborhood of Jerusalem by paying a significant sum. All restrictions hindering its full ownership of the property, resulting from old lease agreements and reservations from judicial rulings accumulated over time, have been removed. The Patriarchate had previously entered into partnerships to develop this property for financial reasons and is now succeeding in regaining its ownership.

With His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël Sako

And Calls for Resolving Issues with Love

With great concern, The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is following what is happening in Iraq with His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the World, and one of the Honorary Presidents of the Middle East Council of Churches.

The MECC, affirms its full solidarity with His Beatitude, and its deep respect for his honorable person and his achievements, and stresses the need to preserve the spirit of fraternity, friendship and respect among all the Iraqi components. The spirit that Christianity preaches and calls for, and which is enshrined by all the Heads of Churches, Bishops, and Clergy, and was recently manifested in the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq. The spirit that the Council, along with other international and local organizations, contributed to its embodiment at all levels.

Amidst the worsening living crises in Lebanon and the region, the Middle East Council of Churches continues to organize its support sessions for the most vulnerable people in order to empower them and develop their skills so they can restore their self-confidence and work to enhance their activity. Thus, they will be able to secure a source of livelihood for themselves and their families.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia Department Lebanon, implemented many soft skills and capacity-building sessions during the month of June, in which women and men participated. They didn’t want to give up to the difficult living conditions, but rather cling to hope despite all the challenges that surround them.

With “Bread for the World” Foundation

Capacity building, skills development, and improving the human capital are among the most important goals that the Middle East Council of Churches seeks to secure for its team work in order to enhance its level of performance, develop ways of coordination, and broaden the horizon of work.

From here, the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the international foundation “Bread for the World”, organized a training course for the General Secretariat team, moderated by Mrs. Ghinwa Mikdashi. It was held on Tuesday 18 July 2023, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut.

The war in Syria has forced thousands of young people to travel in search of a better life, leaving behind them elderly parents who require care and attention. This has increased the number of elderlies in need of someone to provide them with the necessary care and support. Hence, the Middle East Council of Churches and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Syria have undertaken the restoration of the Al-Rahmeh home for elderly as part of the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” that is implemented by MECC in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” (KIA) organization in the Netherlands.

A delegation from the “Danmission” organization visited the offices of the General Secretariat of the Middle East Council of Churches in Beirut, on Thursday 13 July 2023. It included Mrs. Kristen Auken, Regional Director for the Middle East, Mr. Antoine Abdel Massih, Program Manager, and Mr. Elie Bkassiny, Administrator and Financial Manager.

The delegation was received by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches Dr. Michel Abs, alongside an MECC team that included Father Dr. Antoine Al Ahmar, Director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department, Mrs. Manal Bechara Bou Habib, Financial Director, Ms. Laudy Khoury, Financial Coordinator, and Mrs. Roula Saliba, Senior Human Resources Officer.

Since the beginning of the war in Syria, the Middle East Council of Churches has been steadfast in supporting the Syrian community in all its factions through the implementation of several humanitarian programs in various Syrian provinces, under the slogan "Service with Dignity." Believing in the words of His Beatitude Late Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, "While some may be destined to kill and destroy, our destiny is to build and remain."

One of the programs implemented by MECC is the “Restoration and Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands. The program aims to restore what the war has destroyed and bring hope back to the people after years of suffering and displacement.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Middle East Council of Churches, Communication and Public Relations Department, MECC, its Presidents, Executive Committee, and General Secretariat, extends its congratulations to His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the occasion of his elevation to the rank of Cardinal at the Catholic Church, as announced by His Holiness Pope Francis. As well as, MECC, Presidents, Executive Committee, and the General Secretariat, extends its congratulations to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, on the occasion of his election and consecration as Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church. As for the weekly message of the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it is entitled “The Broken Dialogue, the Lost Society, and Ecumenism”, in which he talked about the concept of dialogue stressing the importance of common life and the advanced and deep interaction between people.

Lebanon’s Ministers of Communication and Information launched the ‘Let’s Talk’ campaign today, on the occasion of the International Day of Dialogue, which falls on July 12th. The campaign aims to encourage dialogue and communication among the Lebanese. To support this initiative, the Ministry of Communication introduced free communication periods on mobile and internet networks during the month of July. According to the ministers concerned, the goal of this campaign is to promote dialogue and communication among the Lebanese.

What is remarkable about this commendable and desirable campaign is its focus on promoting dialogue between the leaders of discordant groups within the Lebanese people, who have caused destruction and the loss of the future for their youth, leading them to emigrate. The slogans presented are laughable, urging publicly antagonistic, and secretly allied, politicians to talk to each other by making their phone numbers public.

On the occasion of the 28th Anniversary of His Election and Consecration as Catholicos

The Middle East Council of Churches, Presidents, Executive Committee members, and the General Secretariat, extends its warmest congratulations to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church of Cilicia, on the occasion of his election and consecration as Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church. MECC wishes him many years of prosperity, blessings and holiness.

The Middle East Council of Churches also wishes His Holiness good health and continuous success in his Pastoral mission, asking the Lord Jesus Christ to inspire him, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, with wisdom and steadfastness of hope, in Christian witness and Ecumenical service.

“Al-Ghadir and Human Sciences”

On the occasion of God’s Great Feast, “Eid Al-Ghadir,” and under the auspices of the Vice-President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon, His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, the “Macharek Center for Research and Contemporary Intellectual Studies” organized a conference entitled “Al-Ghadir and Human Sciences” (Al-Ghadiriya Beirut 2023), on Wednesday 5 July 2023, at the Imam Sadiq Cultural Compound, Lebanon.

Stemming from the belief that education is the foundation of peace and security in the world, the Middle East Council of Churches in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands, rehabilitated “Dar Al Salam” school in Aleppo, Syria, within the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria”. A program that aims to restore what was damaged by the war so that hope can revive in the lives of people who are an essential part of their Church. The number of beneficiaries of the school's restoration is approximately 500 students, teachers, and administrators.

Towards a More Just Society

As part of raising awareness about the concept of gender equality and encouraging joint work, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the ABAAD foundation for gender equality, implemented a gender-based violence (GBV) session titled “Sharing is Power”. It was held during the previous month of June, at the hall of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese in the region of Sabtieh, Beirut. Participants were women and men from different nationalities, were invited to the session wish aimed to highlight gender identities and roles through a series of interactive activities.

Report: July 11th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective.